According to a report by the Sunday Times, which cited unnamed sources, the two groups have entered into “friendly talks”.
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Earlier this month AB InBev and SABMiller confirmed a tie-up is being explored, with AB InBev informing SABMiller it intends to make a proposal to acquire the company.
Anheuser Busch InBev could make the $106 billion dollar bid as soon as today.
The maker of beers such as Peroni and Grolsh said its chairman, Jan du Plessis, and an independent director, Trevor Manuel, were appointed to the board’s corporate accountability and risk assurance committee. According to Reuters, the takeover of the second largest brewer by revenues would create a big multinational company that would manufacture a third of the world’s beer. Officially AB InBev has been given until October 14 to either make an offer for SABMiller, or withdraw from a takeover.
The USA market has been flat for years with one chief exception: Craft breweries which are stealing domestic market shares of both SABMiller and AB InBev.
The Sunday Times also reported that another significant SABMiller investor, South African fund manager Allan Gray, which has a £1bn stake in SAB, said it backed the deal.
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Since AB InBev has more than 200 brands under its name including Corona and Stella Artois, the Belgian brewing giant’s offer for its British rival, SABMiller, could form a brewing colossus with more than 400 brands. As of the moment, both companies have declined to comment on the report.
